TRIUMPH'S new Street Triple and Street Triple R have been something of an open secret for months thanks to the inevitable spy photos during their development but even so it's a surprise to discover just how significantly altered the bikes are.
While the engine remains at 105bhp, the same as the old bike, that's simply a sop to its biggest market, France, where power is limited anyway. The rest of the bike has been changed in its entirity.
Yep, despite looking familiar, that's a new frame. While sticking to the same principles as the old bike, Triumph has tweaked the geometry – with less rake and trail than before – and added a new cast alloy subframe in place of the old tubular one. The suspension is all new, too, with a redesigned swingarm – which was needed to clear the other big alteration, an under-belly exhaust.
Shifting the centre of gravity downwards and forwards compared to the old high-mounted exhausts, the new pipe helps with mass centralisation and is key to the claimed handling improvements of the new machine.
It's lighter, too. All in, complete with a tank of fuel, the stock Street Triple now weighs in at only 183kg, 6kg less than before.
The stock bike gets 41mm KYB forks with two-pot Nissin sliding caliper brakes, while the R version now has fully adjustable versions of the forks plus an improved rear shock, as well as four-pot Nissins. It also gets an even more extreme chassis, with rake of 23.4 degrees (24.1 on the stock bike). A red subframe and radiator shroud mark the R version out. There's also optional ABS, which can also be switched off.
Accessories are set to include the usual tricks bits and an optional tyre pressure monitoring system.
Prices will be confirmed later this month, and the new Street Triple and Street Triple R are due in dealers in November.
TRIUMPH'S new Street Triple and Street Triple R have been something of an open secret for months thanks to the inevitable spy photos during their development but even so it's a surprise to discover just how significantly altered the bikes are.
While the engine remains at 105bhp, the same as the old bike, that's simply a sop to its biggest market, France, where power is limited anyway. The rest of the bike has been changed in its entirity.
Yep, despite looking familiar, that's a new frame. While sticking to the same principles as the old bike, Triumph has tweaked the geometry – with less rake and trail than before – and added a new cast alloy subframe in place of the old tubular one. The suspension is all new, too, with a redesigned swingarm – which was needed to clear the other big alteration, an under-belly exhaust.
Shifting the centre of gravity downwards and forwards compared to the old high-mounted exhausts, the new pipe helps with mass centralisation and is key to the claimed handling improvements of the new machine.
It's lighter, too. All in, complete with a tank of fuel, the stock Street Triple now weighs in at only 183kg, 6kg less than before.
The stock bike gets 41mm KYB forks with two-pot Nissin sliding caliper brakes, while the R version now has fully adjustable versions of the forks plus an improved rear shock, as well as four-pot Nissins. It also gets an even more extreme chassis, with rake of 23.4 degrees (24.1 on the stock bike). A red subframe and radiator shroud mark the R version out. There's also optional ABS, which can also be switched off.
Accessories are set to include the usual tricks bits and an optional tyre pressure monitoring system.
Prices will be confirmed later this month, and the new Street Triple and Street Triple R are due in dealers in November.
You will be able to see this bike at the NEC Motorcycle Live from 24th November to 2nd December.
